Marty Sloan – Living the Dream

The Owners Manual –Gods Will for Life

1 20 10 HT PM

1 Chronicles 28:9 NKJV

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

Question: How important is it that you know the will of God for your life?

Problem:  Many, most people assume that the will of God is either undiscoverable or unattainable.

Observation: The will of God can often be a discovery and not necessarily wrapped up in a fortune cookie.

Statement: The single biggest key to discovering the will of God is faithfulness to God with what you do have not hopefulness for what you do not have!

In talking about the will of God – Human thinking will always be a factor in our pursuit and participation of His will.

Romans 12:2 LB

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you.

Two schools of thought

1. Horizontal (here and now)

Ruling factors in the horizontal thinking;

• Sight

• Touch

• Prove

• Explainable

• Familiar

• Logic

• Perception

• Replace God with self

Luke 12:13 NLT

Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

Luke 12:14

Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”

Luke 12:15

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Luke 12:16

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.

Luke 12:17

He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’

Luke 12:18

Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.

Luke 12:19

And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

Luke 12:20

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

Luke 12:21

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

The rich man had complete horizontal thinking. He never thought in terms of eternal.  His long term plan was not long enough.

2. Vertical

Ruling factors in the vertical thinking;

• Theology

• Faith

• Trust

• Time

• Faithfulness

• Acknowledgement

• Righteousness

• Replace self with God

Example the call and life of Jeremiah the Prophet;

Jeremiah 1:4 NLT

The LORD gave me this message:

Jeremiah 1:5

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

Before you were born I set you apart

and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:6

“O Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

Jeremiah 1:7

The LORD replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.

Jeremiah 1:8

And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

Jeremiah 1:9

Then the LORD reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!

God spoke to Jeremiah a substantial task. He wanted to use him as a mouthpiece to speak to Israel. Jeremiah focused on his limitations about the will of God. He would have limited God based on His limitations.

Could it be that our thinking is the biggest challenge to the will of God?

Statements about the will of God

1. The will of God is revealed through pleasing God.

Hebrews 11:5 NLT

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” ◙ For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.

Hebrews 11:6

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Gods will, will always align with His nature

2. The will of God is found in sufferings

2 Timothy 2:2 NLT

You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

2 Timothy 2:3

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

God’s will, will always align with His purpose

3. The will of God is found in separation

2 Timothy 2:4

Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.

God’s will, will align with His righteousness

4. The will of God is revealed by the rules

2 Timothy 2:5

And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules.

God’s will, will align with His Word

5. The will of God is founded in faithfulness

Matthew 25:19 NLT

“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.

Matthew 25:20

The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

Matthew 25:21

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!

Matthew 25:22

“The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

Matthew 25:23

“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

Matthew 25:24

“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate.

Matthew 25:25

I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

Matthew 25:26

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,

Matthew 25:27

why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

Matthew 25:28

“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver.

Matthew 25:29

To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

God’s will, will create fruitfulness through faithfulness.